How Accurate Is Machine Translation?

Food for translation engines: parallel corpora

For most translation engines, such as machine translation, to convert texts from one language to another, they need a base of data called a parallel corpus. A parallel corpus contains a large set of simultaneous translations in various languages. machine translation engines use such data to decide the equivalence between languages.

For this process to be accurate, huge amounts of parallel translations are needed, preferably, from multiple genres—such as novels, films, official proceedings, news reports, and even social media.

Benefits of machine translation

The benefits of machine translation are of course, its speed and convenience. Yet, inaccurate translations are not uncommon, especially in languages that have less support in terms of having a good corpus. In such cases, one often runs into translations that either are awkward or, sometimes, do not make any sense.

Limitations of machine translation

Machine translation’s benefits are not universal to the world’s many languages. Whether a language becomes available on machine translation or other engines depends on a few factors like the number of speakers, how much the language is used in official proceedings (which increases the availability of its translations), and the affluence of its people group.

The number of speakers of a language no doubt plays a role in shaping their online presence on machine translation and other sites. Yet, although the top translated languages have hundreds of millions of speakers, the online presence of those ranking in the middle do not necessarily correlate to the number of speakers.

This is because other factors like the scope of influence and affluence of the country that uses the language matter too. For example, official EU languages like Greek and Swedish, which only have a few million (less than 20) speakers, have a much better presence on machine translation and translated Wikipedia pages than many languages with the same or larger speaker population, like Bhojpuri (51 million speakers). Bhojpuri was among the 24 languages made available on machine translation only recently, in 2022. Furthermore, the translation model it uses is not backed by the usual parallel corpora; instead, it uses Google’s new “Zero-Shot” monolingual model that Google itself describes as “impressive but imperfect”.

Conclusion – machine translate for rough translations

In conclusion, machine translation engines can be useful for personal use and rough translations. It is often used when traveling, travel planning, or when browsing or shopping online on foreign websites. In these cases, basic translations are often all you need, and not much is at stake.

However, machine translations can be inaccurate or even unavailable, especially if the target language has a poorer online presence. Hence, if you need an accurate or certified translation, it is best to approach a trusted translation company where real human language experts can assure you an accurate translation. 

How To Accurately Transcribe Audio And video recordings for court use

Audio and video recordings are often submitted as evidence for court proceedings. In Singapore, under the State Courts Practice Directions 2021, Part XIX, Paragraph 130, regarding the documentation of audio and video recordings for the community courts and tribunals cluster, “A transcript of the important part(s) of the audio or video recording must be prepared to state the relevant fact (ie, the action that is seen, the exact words that are used, the type(s) of sound(s) that are heard).”

Although this does not have to be done by a transcription service provider, legal firms often refer the task to one to save on time and to ensure quality.

If you would like to know how an accurate transcript is produced, read on.   

Accuracy

For audio recordings, repeated listening is key to producing an error-free transcript. This is to ensure words are heard correctly, no word is missed out, and overlapped speech can be differentiated as best as possible. We recommend listening to a recording at least three times, especially for difficult ones, such as those containing muffled words, overlapped speech, or an unfamiliar accent. It can also help to have more than one person review the recording.

Maintaining objectivity is also very important. Any subjectivity or interpretative quality to a transcript may be deemed biased or unfair in court, rendering the evidence useless. For example, if a person in a video is seen smiling, you should describe the person as “smiling”, but not “happy”, as the person who is smiling may not necessarily be happy. Hence, it is important to maintain objectivity and to avoid introducing subjective interpretations when transcribing.

Formatting

Apart from being accurate, a transcript must also be easy to follow. A range of formatting tricks will help you to do this. Let’s discuss some of them.  

Before you start, know what style of transcription you would be using--full verbatim or clean verbatim. Full verbatim retains filler words and stammering while clean verbatim presents the speech in Standard English.

You may also want to consider other formatting elements that will help you present your transcripts clearly or that may be relevant to meet your needs. Some suggestions are listed below.

·         Headings and paragraphs – Sectioning the document into different parts with headers and splitting up large paragraphs into smaller ones can help improve readability. 

·         Speaker labels – Speaker labels are required to differentiate between different speakers. If a speaker’s identity is not known, generic labels like “Male”, “Female”, or “Speaker 1” can be adopted. 

·         Timestamps – Placing timestamps helps the reader to locate parts of the recording that correspond to particular places in the transcript. Timestamps can be inserted at regular time intervals, for example, every 5 minutes, by inserting [0:05:00], [0:10:00], etc. at the relevant points, or may be inserted every time a different speaker begins their turn. 

·        Tags for inaudible speech and crosstalk – Tags like [inaudible] and [crosstalk] can be used to indicate instances of inaudible speech or crosstalk. 

·         Describing non-speech sounds – Non-speech sounds can be indicated by enclosing them within brackets. For e.g., [clapping], [door closing], etc. 

·         Describing actions – For video recordings, you may italicize or enclose actions in brackets. For e.g., [Mike walks over to the table].

There it is! With these tips, you are on your way to producing a solid transcript.

Alternatively, you may leave the job to a professional company such as ours.

Parts of the recording that require translation

What if your recording contains parts that are not in English? According to the rules stated in State Courts Practice Directions 2021, when words in the audio or video recording are not in English, a certified translation of the words into English must be provided. 

Legal Translation Service Singapore

Legal translation services are specialized language services that involve the translation of legal documents, contracts, agreements, court materials, and other legal texts from one language to another. These translations must be accurate, precise, and culturally appropriate, as even the slightest error or misinterpretation could have significant consequences in a legal context.

Legal translation is a highly sensitive and complex field that requires expertise in both legal terminology and language proficiency. It demands not only a deep understanding of the legal systems in both the source and target languages but also the ability to maintain the original meaning and intent of the text.

Some common types of legal documents that often require translation services include:

1. Contracts and agreements: Business contracts, partnership agreements, employment contracts, etc.
2. Legal judgments and court rulings: Decisions and verdicts issued by courts.
3. Patents and intellectual property documents: Patent applications, trademarks, and copyrights.
4. Immigration documents: Visa applications, passports, residency permits, etc.
5. Corporate documents: Articles of incorporation, bylaws, and company regulations.
6. Trusts and wills: Legal documents outlining inheritance and estate distribution.

When seeking legal translation services, it is crucial to work with reputable translation agencies or translators who have specific expertise in the legal domain. They should be well-versed in the laws and regulations of the countries involved and possess a proven track record of accurate legal translations.

Confidentiality is paramount when dealing with legal documents, so it is essential to ensure that the chosen translation service provider adheres to strict data protection and privacy measures.

Moreover, some countries have certification requirements for legal translations, such as obtaining notarized or sworn translations, which may be necessary for official use. Therefore, it's crucial to inquire about the specific requirements of the target country.

Overall, legal translation services play a crucial role in facilitating communication and legal processes across language barriers and are indispensable for businesses, individuals, and legal entities dealing with international matters.

Internet Resources For Translators

 

The internet can no doubt be of use to translators. If you find yourself stuck on a topic or a word that you find particularly difficult to translate, or simply would like to accelerate your translation work, turning to online resources can be helpful. These include machine translation software, dictionaries, blogs and discussion forums, and even online courses.

Machine translation software include Google Translate, which suggests the most common translations for a particular word or phrase; another software, SYSTRAN Translate even offers domain-specified translations. This can be useful for preliminary translations to speed up your workflow. They may also help you find the translation of words that are less familiar to you.

Moreover, online dictionaries or the sauruses can be useful for finding synonymsof a particular translated word. This is especially useful for literary translators who may need more word options.

Blogs and discussion forums,such as the popular Reddit, provide a space for translators working in similar fields to collaborate, while online courses-many of which are free-can help you upgrade your knowledge of a subject in the language of interest.Taking courses will help you to be more well-versed in the area you are working in. However, be careful of delving too deep into a single sub-specialisation, as this can waste your precious time: it may be better to prepare your self for a broader range of tasks in the field as compared to over-specialising in individual topics which you may not encounter on a regular basis.

Translation Services Involve More Than Just Translation/Other Services That A Translations Company Usually Provides

 

The term ‘translation service’, or ‘translation provider’ immediately suggests that a translation from one language to another by a professional translator is to be provided. Yet, a translation service does not merely involve translation – and thankfully!

Obviously, translation is the main role of the company, and a certified, competent group of translators are the key contributors in the company. They are the ones who make sure the meaning of your document is translated in the best possible way for the required application – be it for personal, official, technical, or legal use.

Yet, a translation company performs a spectrum of tasks for you that may not be immediately apparent; these include understanding your needs, converting your source file (often in non-digital format) into a suitable digital format for translators to work on, translation (of course), a few rounds of proofreading, and finally, liaising with a notary public for notarization services and legalizing documents with the Singapore Academy of Law, if necessary. Hence, by engaging the help of a certified translations services provider, you save time on administrative duties as well as having the assurance of accurately translated documents.

If you are looking to engage a translations company in Singapore, feel free to contact us at Berlo International Pte Ltd. 

Why You Need a Professional Translation Company In Singapore For Legal Documents

While many of the documents you'll need to be translated to or from the local language of Singapore will probably be technical, legal documents such as wills and contracts always have special weight. That's why it's important to work with a reliable translation company when it comes time to translate legal documents into or from English or another foreign language.

Why you need Legal translationservice Singapore

In Singapore, like many other countries, it is crucial to get your documents translated into local languages by a certified translator, not just a native speaker. The reason is simple: Not everyone knows all of our languages. When you need document translation services, most people don't stop to think about whether they need certified translations or if they can find someone who speaks their language at their local coffee shop or bank branch. Many believe that anyone can translate when it's very different than speaking two languages or knowing English as one of your many dialects.

What is a Translation company in Singapore?

A certified translation company can provide you with both certified and non-certified translations. The main difference between these two categories is that certified translations have been validated by an outside authority, such as the Translator Association of America or another similar organization. A professional translation company will always have these certifications to ensure the high quality of their work and professionalism. Translations with no certification were translated by translators who were not part of a specific association but still followed industry standards when translating documents, which makes them just as reliable as certified translations. For example, our translators must translate documents according to strict ISO 9000 standards even if they are not associated with an organization like TAA (Translator Association of America).

How Does Translator Singapore Work?

Translator Singapore services are quick, easy, and convenient. Our certified translators translate your documents quickly to ensure that you get them back on time. We offer fast and accurate translation services at very affordable prices. Because we want to make it easier for businesses and individuals in Singapore to communicate with people from other countries, we provide several services, including business document translation, legal document translation, and personal document translation. Start communicating clearly with our trusted translator today!

How to Get the Best Quality certified translation Singapore from Them?

To get certified translation, you must learn more about how long they have been offering legal document translation services. The other thing that you need to find out from them is their client base of those who have previously used their services for legal document translations. This can be done by reading testimonials from previous customers so that you will know whether it is worth investing in them or not.

Top Questions That Good Translation Companies In Singapore Will Ask You

 1.    Who is the translation intended for?

Any certified translation company out there will, first and foremost, confirm the intended recipient/audience for their certified translation services before anything else. Not only does this reflect the translation company’s initiative in offering the best translation service possible, but it will also notify the translation company of anything special that they would have to be careful of or look out for when preparing to translate the document.

For instance, certified translations for PR application translations in Singapore as compared to overseas embassies might require less paperwork or official stamps.Not only that, the tone and register of the translation might vary greatly depending on what the translation will be used for. The translation style and form for legal translations for one, would be stiffer and require the use of specific industry/legal terms, as opposed to a translation that would be used internally within a company.

Ultimately, having a clear understanding of the translation’s recipient will help to set a clear framework in which the translation company can work its translations around to ensure it fits the needs of the client as much as possible.

 

2.    Could you clarify the spelling of the names in the source document?

Likewise, any certified translation service will require you to clarify the spelling of names during the process of translation. This is a crucial point of note especially in the areas of notarized translation or legal translation, where any slight discrepancies in the names in the finalized translations can be a significant factor that might just very well cost an individual that PR application he or she had been waiting so long to get approval for. This is even more so for non-English native speakers whose pronunciations of names might differ from that of their spellings, or if the spelling of their names in their mother tongue has variations when spelled in English that might lead to such unfortunate incidents occuring.

Of course, this applies to taking the initiative in confirming the accuracy of other personal details in the source document as well. Whatever the case may be, the attention to details, however minute, is clearly a basic requirement for any translation or translator company who respects the client and takes pride in their work.

 

3.    Do you require additional translation services, such as Notarization or legal translation services?

Lastly, any certified translation company in Singapore would also enquire whether you require any additional translation services, such as if you would want your documents to be notarized and so on.

It goes without saying that certified translation services often require translators to possess industry-specific knowledge and understanding of certain specific terms crucial to the type of translation service that is required.Knowing whether the client requires these additional steps in the translation process allows the translation company to deploy the translator best suited for the job. At the same time, it provides sufficient buffer time for the translators and the company to source for and acquire the necessary personnel and paperwork to finalise the translation within the stipulated deadline.

Needless to say, if you do opt for additional services such as requiring a notarized translation, do be prepared to pay a higher amount for the translation since more administrative paperwork is required.  

Although the above list of questions are non-exhaustive, they do form a benchmark of sorts that certified translation services and companies work with. Hopefully, these questions will be of use the next time you want to look for professional and experienced certified translation companies in Singapore.